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Injuries happen in sports quite often and in some cases, it takes an athlete months and months to recover to get back up to speed.

For Breken Brezden, a hip injury that she suffered in September has provided plenty of stress for the Dauphinite over the past couple of months. While the injury held Breken back a little bit when it came to training at 100%, Brezden did not allow the injury to get her spirits down as she recovered and resumed her training ahead of the senior women's Skate Canada Challenge which took place from November 30 to December 3 at Seven Oaks Arena in Winnipeg.

Up for grabs was a spot in the Canadian national championships next month in Calgary. 

"I was definitely feeling very nervous, I wasn't at a point that I can confidently say that I was doing very well," said Brezden. "I didn't have maybe the difficulty that some of my competitors had. With that said, I made sure to get the things done that I could do very well and I believe I was successful in doing that."

The top 18 skaters at the event would earn the right to compete at the nationals and when the dust settled on Sunday afternoon, Brezden locked up her spot with an 11th-place finish. Brezden was in 12th place after racking up 50.32 points in her short program and a great free program saw her jump up one spot.

The finish put her comfortably inside the Top 18 as Breken will now head to Calgary for the nationals next month. It will be her first time competing in a senior women's national championship.

"I'm very proud and happy with the result," said Brezden. "When it comes to competition, it's all about turning up that competitive spirit, even if it isn't perfect. It's been a challenging few months, but I'm very happy and excited that I was able to qualify for the nationals."

The 2024 Canadian National Skating Championships occur from January 8 to 14 at WinSport Arena at Canada Olympic Park in Calgary. When it comes to what Breken is looking forward to most, it all starts by just stepping into the facility.

"It's a gorgeous facility, so it's going to be very exciting to get the opportunity to skate there," ended Brezden. "I also haven't been to Alberta in a while so that will be a nice change. And, competing at my first national women's championship will be the best part of it all."

In preparation for the event in just more than a month, Brezden will train six days a week. While that may seem daunting to some, Brezden is doing what she loves and it's her passion and dedication that has led her to the national stage. 

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Contributed by Darnell Duff

Published: Dec 6, 2023 - 10:03 am

The Dauphin Kings losing streak has now reached three games.

Recording just 15 shots, Dauphin lost a hard fought 2-1 game to the Virden Oil Capitals, as Virden increased their West Division lead to seven points over the Kings with the victory.

With the defeat and paired with a Blizzard victory over Swan Valley, Dauphin has now dropped to third place in the West, one point behind the Blizzard. Cayden Glover scored Dauphin's lone goal of the contest. The Kings struggles on the power play continue as they went 0-for-3 and they have just four man advantage goals on their last 45 chances.

Josh Lehto (16) and Brett Sabel (4) did the scoring for Virden in the victory. The two teams will meet again on Sunday afternoon at 4:00 p.m. on Tractor Lotto Sunday. Dauphin will first host the Winnipeg Blues on Saturday evening for Teddy Bear Toss Night.

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Contributed by Darnell Duff

Published: Dec 6, 2023 - 12:33 am

Five Parkland Gators spent time in Winnipeg competing in the Seals Last Chance swim meet. 

Renee Fee

200m backstroke - 5th
100m backstroke - 9th
50m backstroke - 9th
50m fly - 16th
100m freestyle - 17th
50m freestyle - 22nd

Chayne Paziuk

100m backstroke - 6th
200m freestyle - 7th
50m fly - 7th
50m freestyle - 13th
100m breaststroke - 13th
50m breaststroke - 14th

Lily Montagnion

50m backstroke - 7th
100m backstroke - 10th
50m fly - 10th
200m freestyle - 11th
50m freestyle - 14th 
100m freestyle - 16th

Lauren Lesiuk

100m breaststroke - 17th
50m breaststroke - 18th
50m fly - 31st
50m backstroke - 39th
100m freestyle - 46th

James Gemmill

50m backstroke - 19th
100m freestyle - 22nd

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Contributed by Darnell Duff

Published: Dec 5, 2023 - 10:38 am

It was a busy weekend for the Dauphin Clippers hockey team as they were in Brandon for the annual Vic Inn tournament.

After advancing to the Crocus Plains Division championship game, the Clippers came out flat in a 7-1 loss to the Neepawa Tigers to finish in second place in the division. They earned their spot in the final by downing John Taylor, 2-1. Tyron Sweetman and Julien Lopez scored for Dauphin in the victory.

Before that, Dauphin downed Portage, 5-3. William Miner scored a pair of goals in the game while Julien Lopez, Cody Zurba, and Tyron Sweetman also scored for Dauphin in the game. Dauphin also played a very good Garden City Fighting Gophers team tight in a 3-0 defeat. 

Dauphin returns to Westman High School league play on Wednesday when they head to Sandy Bay to play the Badgers. The Clippers will then wrap up a home-and-home with Sandy Bay on Friday as the teams return to Credit Union Place at 7:30. 

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Contributed by Darnell Duff

Published: Dec 4, 2023 - 1:07 pm

While the Dauphin Kings have struggled as of late and were swept over the weekend on a two-game road trip, they are still recognized by the Canadian Junior Hockey League.

In another week of Top 20 rankings done by the CJHL, the Kings are honourable mentions this week With wins in 15 of their 23 games, Dauphin still is just five points back of Virden for first place in the West Division and the Kings have two games in hand. Dauphin will play Virden in two massive games on Tuesday and Sunday of this week. The Kings have given up just 59 goals this year which is the third-fewest across the MJHL.

Dauphin also hosts Teddy Bear Toss night on Saturday when the Winnipeg Blues come to town.

Around the MJHL, the Steinbach Pistons, Winkler Flyers, and Virden Oil Capitals are all ranked inside the Top 20.

#4 - Steinbach Pistons - 20-3-1

Despite losing for the first time in more than a month, Steinbach still ranks right up near the top of Canada. From October 25 to December 2, Steinbach rallied off 11 straight wins. Sitting with 20 wins on the campaign in their first 24 games, the Pistons are on top of the East Division by two points over the Terriers and the Pistons also have four games in hand.

Steinbach did fall to Portage on Sunday evening. Steinbach has been outstanding defensively this year giving up just 47 goals and offensively, they are the most efficient team across the league with 104 goals. Seven different Pistons have recorded at least 20 points this season, led by Kirk Mullen with his 31, and Leo Chambers is just behind with 29. 20-year-old goalie Cole Plowman has also been incredible between the pipes with 14 wins in 17 games started. Plowman has a .936 save percentage to go along with a superb 1.81 goals-against average.

Many are saying this year's Steinbach team is better than last year's club which won the MJHL championship and competed in the Centennial Cup. While there is still plenty of season left, there is no doubt that this year's Pistons roster are championship contenders and at this point in the season with their offensive talent and excellent defensive play, they could be league favourites.

What's next: December 07 @ Virdedn, December 08 vs Portage, December 10 @ Neepawa, December 13 vs Niverville, December 15 vs Freeze

#6 - Winkler Flyers - 17-3-1-1

As good as Steinbach has been defensively this year, Winkler has been better. Across 22 games, the Flyers have allowed just 40 goals. The duo of hometown star Malachi Klassen and Liam Ernst of White City has helped Winkler become one of the best defensive teams in recent years in the league.

One of the best stories surrounding Winkler, at least locally, is the play of Jayce Legaarden. Just a few years removed from scoring 46 goals with the Parkland U18 Rangers, Jayce has made a smooth transition to the junior lifestyle as the Grandview star is fourth in team scoring with nine goals and 11 assists. Jayce leads Winkler with six power-play goals. Winkler has four 20-point scorers led by Trent Penner with his 11 goals and 16 assists. This year's Flyers team could be the best roster in many years, which begs the question... is this the year?

One of the oldest cliches in the book is 'defence wins championships'. Sitting five points back of Steinbach for first in the East Division, the Flyers have been close over the years, but they have never been able to get over the hump. If this is the year for Winkler, no one will be surprised. But based on previous playoff appearances, likely not many people will be surprised if they can't get over the hump to win a league championship.

What's next: December 06 @ Waywayseecappo, December 08 vs Blizzard, December 10 vs Swan Valley, December 15 @ Niverville, December 16 vs Dauphin

#13 - Virden Oil Capitals - 16-5-2-2

The Virden Oil Capitals got the best of the Blizzard Junior A Hockey Club in the first round of the Turnbull Cup playoffs last year as they sent the Blizz home packing in six games. If it weren't for the Blizzard over the past week, the Oil Capitals would have likely entered the top 10.

The Blizzard beat Virden twice of the past seven days including on Sunday in a 2-1 shootout victory against their West Division rivals. Nonetheless, Virden still has a comfortable lead in the West Division and their offence has scored the second-most goals in the league with 99, only behind Steinbach's 104. A big addition to the team recently was Grady Lane as the 20-year-old former WHLer brings a great physical presence to the team's roster and he is a great team guy.

Virden is another one of those teams that has people wondering if this is the year. They lost in the league final last year against Portage, they lost in the league final in 2018 and in between, they have never been able to get over the hump. Also just like Winkler, this could be one of the best Virden rosters in many years. They faced the heartbreak of losing in the finals last year and they have brought back many pieces from that roster including Josh Lehto, who leads the league with 31 points. When the dust settles, Virden will be an extremely tough out and it'll be interesting to keep an eye on what's happening in Oil Country.

What's next: December 05 @ Dauphin, December 07 vs Steinbach, December 08 @ Selkirk, December 10 @ Dauphin, December 15 vs Swan Valley

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Contributed by Darnell Duff

Published: Dec 4, 2023 - 11:39 am

They say when you get the taste of winning, you never want to lose again and that's how the Parkland U15 Rangers are feeling right now.

Now it's one thing to say it, but it's another to get the job done and that's what the Rangers are doing. The team is coming off a weekend sweep and they have now won four of their last five games which has seen them jump up the standings.

Starting the weekend in Carberry against a very good Southwest Cougars team, seven different skaters found the back of the net in a 7-4 win. Goals were scored by Carter Moncrief, Reese Scott, Noah Hanneson, Ben Poole, Dayson Martin, Brayden Budolowski, and Noah Smigelsky. Xander Perih was outstanding in net as he made 45 saves to record his third straight win.

It was the second time the Rangers beat the Cougars this year. Southwest has won 11 of their 17 games this season and sits in fifth place in the league.

Then on Sunday, it was the Kyle Pelletier show. Playing in his hometown of McCreary, Kyle turned away all 35 shots he faced in a 3-0 win against the Winnipeg Wild Green. Moncrief, Budolowski, and Martin all scored for the Rangers in the win.

Matt Kustra is in his first year of head coaching the program and he had this to say after the successful weekend.

"I'm extremely proud, these guys have been battling so hard this year," said Kustra. "After starting the season with nine losses in our first 11 games, you can see the guys are feeling a spark. I really do believe moving forward we're going to see an entirely new team, it's pretty exciting."

With wins in four of their last five games, the Rangers have used a combination of great offence which has been paired with great goaltending and defensive play. During their recent streak that has seen the team earn eight of a possible 10 points, the Rangers have scored 18 goals while giving up just 14. 

"Both goalies in Xander and Kyle have been excellent as of late," said Kustra. "They are making the big saves in big moments to help us win games, I can't really ask for much more from them, it really gives the rest of our team a lot of confidence."

Parkland will continue their four-game homestand on Saturday when they play the Winnipeg Wild Gold in Russell at 12:30 and then they head back to McCreary to play the league-leading Wheat Kings on Sunday at 4:00 p.m. For fans in Dauphin wanting to watch the Rangers, you will have to wait until the team's final regular season game on February 11 when Eastman comes to town. 

Brayden Budolowski continues to lead things offensively for the Rangers with 16 goals and 13 assists while Noah Smigelsky is second in team scoring with 21 points. Dayson Martin and Ben Poole have 17 points while Noah Hanneson has 14. Perih has now won four games in net while Pelletier has won a pair. 

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Contributed by Darnell Duff

Published: Dec 4, 2023 - 9:56 am

It's been a struggle for the Dauphin Kings as of late and those struggles continued on Sunday as they were beaten by the 13th place team in the league.

Wrapping up a weekend road trip and trying to salvage it, the Kings were unable to do so as they lost 4-3 to the Winnipeg Blues, who came into the game with four wins, compared to Dauphin's 15.

Rylan Gage opened the scoring for Dauphin in the game with his first of the year 7:11 in; however, the Blues would respond less than a minute later as Dawson Zeller scored a shorthanded goal.

Jordan Bax would restore Dauphin's lead as they led 2-1 after 20 minutes. Brody Green scored the lone goal of the second period to tie the game at two after 40 minutes.

Brycen Gair for Winnipeg and Jordan Bax for Dauphin would each score a goal before Lucas Desousa scored the game winner with just less than 10 minutes left in the game. Dauphin pushed late but they couldn't find the back of the net.

With the loss, Dauphin drops to 15-7-1 on the season and they're now five points back of Virden for first and the Blizzard are just a point back of Dauphin after they beat Virden on Sunday.

The Kings will welcome Virden to Dauphin on Tuesday night. 

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Contributed by Darnell Duff

Published: Dec 3, 2023 - 9:47 pm

The Gilbert Plains Trojans varsity girls volleyball team has completed a three-peat.

For the third season in a row, the Trojans won a provincial title. Gilbert Plains came out of the gate firing as they won all four of their round-robin matches and lost just a single set in the process.

Then in the playoffs, Gilbert Plains kept firing on all cylinders. They first beat Baldur/Cartwright in straight sets and then beat Deloraine in a three-set thriller which saw them advance to the gold medal game.

In the gold medal game, Gilbert Plains hammered Glenboro, 25-10 and 25-20 to win the title.

Hailey Tabak was named the tournament's most valuable player while Montana Jubenvill and Brooke Hanke were named tournament all-stars. 

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Contributed by Darnell Duff

Published: Dec 3, 2023 - 8:16 pm

The Dauphin Kings once again put together a pretty solid effort, but they earned no points to show for it.

Opening a weekend set in Winnipeg against the Steinbach Pistons, Dauphin dropped a 4-1 decision against the league-leading Pistons, who improved to 20-2-1 on the season.

The loss; meanwhile, drops the Kings to 15-6-1 on the season as they remain four points back of Virden for first place in the West Division, but Dauphin does still have two games in hand.

Brandon Funk scored the lone goal of the first period as his 13th of the season gave Steinbach a 1-0 lead. Dauphin would respond in the second as Jordan Bax finished a play for his eighth of the season. Gavin Nemis was the main reason for the goal as he had an overall outstanding game for the Kings. 

That was it for Dauphin as Leo Chambers scored a pair of goals for Steinbach in the third and Connor Paronuzzi also scored for the Pistons in the three-goal win. Steinbach has now outscored Dauphin, 9-2, this season and the Pistons have scored seven times in the third period against Dauphin.

The Kings went 0-for-7 on the power play and they now only have two goals across their last 35 chances. The team will look to get back in the win column on Sunday when they remain in Winnipeg, but head to the Hockey For All Centre to play the Winnipeg Blues. Darnell Duff will have the pregame show at 7:15. 

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Contributed by Darnell Duff

Published: Dec 2, 2023 - 11:42 pm

The Gilbert Plains Mustangs grade eight girls volleyball team is travelling back from Manitoba's capital with a provincial banner.

In Winnipeg for the provincial championships, the Mustangs proved that if you never give up, great things can happen. After placing second in their pool, Gilbert Plains played the top-ranked Holy Ghost team in the quarterfinals and the Mustangs came out on top.

After a dominating straight set victory against Ste. Agathe in their Final 4 match, the Mustangs were championship bound and what a comeback it was.

The Mustangs dropped the first set, 25-17, and they were down 12-2 in the second set. Gilbert Plains mounted an improbable comeback to win the second set 25-23 and in a nailbiting third set, the Mustangs won, 15-13, to win provincial gold. 

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Contributed by Darnell Duff

Published: Dec 2, 2023 - 8:29 pm